For a conference refreshment break, choose a bourbon-style biscuit explicitly labelled gluten free rather than an ordinary bourbon: Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda list free-from bourbon-style options. Check the delivered pack against guests’ other dietary requirements, keep its ingredient information available and serve it separately from wheat-containing refreshments.
An explicitly gluten-free biscuit is the starting point. At a mixed buffet, separate handling and clear identification also matter; Coeliac UK’s catering guidance addresses gluten cross-contact during food service.
Tesco and Sainsbury’s list free-from bourbon creams as gluten free, milk free and suitable for vegans. Check the delivered pack and each guest’s requirements rather than assuming those claims cover every allergy.
Compare the delivered pack weight and biscuit count when working out quantities. Keep standard wheat-containing bourbons separate from biscuits intended for guests who need a gluten-free option.
Start with the exact biscuit’s gluten-free label, then plan how guests will identify and select it at the refreshment table.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free choice | Check the exact pack for a gluten-free claim and read its current ingredients. Do not substitute a standard bourbon biscuit: the McVitie’s Tasties and standard Sainsbury’s bourbons listed by their retailers contain wheat. | I need a bourbon-style biscuit that guests requiring gluten-free food can identify, not one selected by its flavour or name alone. |
| Allergen information | Keep the packaging or an accurate ingredient and allergen record available when biscuits are served loose. The Food Standards Agency says UK food businesses serving non-prepacked food must supply allergen information for items containing any of the 14 regulated allergens. | If biscuits are plated or decanted, guests still need to know which product they are choosing and check it against their own requirements. |
| Serving separation | Identify the gluten-free biscuits clearly and control trays, utensils and handling where wheat-containing refreshments are also served. Coeliac UK’s catering guidance addresses reducing gluten cross-contact. | I want the gluten-free choice to remain distinct throughout the break, rather than sharing an unlabelled biscuit tray. |
| Other dietary claims | Check milk-free and vegan claims on the exact delivered pack, along with its ingredient and allergen declaration. A gluten-free claim does not establish suitability for another dietary requirement. | Where guests also request milk-free or vegan food, one biscuit may meet several requests—but I need to confirm each relevant claim. |
| Catering quantities | Confirm the delivered net weight and biscuit count before calculating how many packs to serve. Check the physical Asda pack in particular if using online weight information for that calculation. | For a large group, I need enough identifiable gluten-free biscuits without relying on a pack title to tell me how many portions it provides. |
McVitie’s Tasties Bourbon Creams and standard Sainsbury’s Bourbon biscuits list wheat; they are different products from the retailers’ free-from options.
Order the exact biscuit labelled gluten free and keep its current ingredient information available through service.
Guests may no longer be able to identify the product or check its allergens, while shared handling can introduce gluten cross-contact.
Use a clearly identified separate serving container and controlled utensils, with the packaging or an accurate allergen record close to hand.
A gluten-free label does not, by itself, establish whether a biscuit meets a milk-free, vegan or individual allergy requirement.
Compare each attendee requirement with the exact pack’s current claims, ingredients and allergen declaration.
The Asda listing contains differing weight references, so its headline alone is a poor basis for calculating conference quantities.
Confirm the delivered pack weight and biscuit count before finalising how many packs to serve; use its physical label for the event-day ingredient record.
Asda lists Free From by Bourbon Biscuits as a gluten-free, milk-free bourbon-style option.
Tesco lists Free From Bourbon Creams 150g as gluten free, milk free and suitable for vegans.
Sainsbury’s lists Free From Bourbon Creams 150g as gluten free, milk free, suitable for vegans and suitable for coeliacs.
McVitie’s Tasties Bourbon Creams is a standard bourbon-biscuit reference, not the gluten-free choice described here.
M&S lists a Free From biscuit range and separately describes a chocolate-coated bourbon cream product.
Waitrose lists gluten-free biscuits and separately lists Essential Bourbon Creams.
This gluten-free digestive biscuit is a different format from the bourbon-style biscuits discussed above. Consider it only if a digestive would suit the conference refreshments and its delivered label meets guests’ requirements.
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A gluten-free digestive biscuit for a conference break where bourbon-style biscuits are not essential. It is a 150g pack, not a bourbon biscuit; product information flags soya and possible lupin, so check the delivered label against guests’ requirements before serving.
Do not use the checked McVitie’s Tasties or standard Sainsbury’s bourbons for that purpose: their retailer listings declare wheat. Select an exact product labelled gluten free and check its delivered pack.
For UK food businesses providing non-prepacked food, the Food Standards Agency says allergen information must be supplied for items containing any of the 14 regulated allergens. Keep accurate product information accessible when conference biscuits are removed from their packaging.
Keep them clearly identified and separately controlled, including their serving tray and utensils. Coeliac UK’s catering guidance addresses reducing gluten cross-contact throughout preparation and service.
Tesco and Sainsbury’s list their specified free-from bourbon creams as gluten free, milk free and suitable for vegans. Check the claims on whichever exact pack is delivered, including an Asda pack, before relying on it for another dietary requirement.